Washington, 19 October. US President Donald Trump told reporters that it was time for someone other than Volodymyr Zelensky to handle peace talks on Ukraine's behalf, saying it was "time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine".
According to Trump, the United States is actively negotiating with Russia on Ukraine and is not going to impose sanctions on Moscow now, so as not to undermine the chances of success. Russia, he said, has been behaving normally towards Ukraine and is not doing all that much. Trump also said Zelensky should get somebody else to negotiate in remarks reported by Reuters; recalling his conflict with the Ukrainian president, he referred to their Oval Office clash.
The president said the United States had given Ukraine a lot of help and asked what Ukraine had given in return, answering that it had given nothing; according to him, the US allocated hundreds of billions of dollars but got nothing back.
Trump said he was ready for a three-way meeting with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in China and could also discuss denuclearisation there. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the possibility of such a meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit is being discussed.
Meanwhile, the talks go on: US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Norway this week for the next round of talks on ending the conflict, Reuters reports, citing three sources; two of them said Zelensky is also expected at the meeting.
The Kremlin reiterated that a final settlement is impossible without Kyiv's direct participation, although Moscow values Washington's peacemaking efforts. Speaking to reporters in Uzbekistan, Rubio said that "no one's winning" this war and that the conflict still carries a risk of further escalation. Relations between Washington and Kyiv, according to CNN, are worsening amid mutual distrust. Trump accused Zelensky of not knowing what he was talking about; last week he called Kyiv's strikes on Russian oil refineries a "disgrace" and said Zelensky was harder to deal with than Putin. Over the weekend Ukraine, defying Trump's demand to stop hitting refineries, carried out one of its biggest drone attacks on Russia this year and hit a major oil terminal. The White House is trying to bring down oil and diesel prices in the US ahead of the midterm elections, with diesel at a record high.
Background: A day earlier, Zelensky accused the US of delaying deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles already paid for by European allies.
List of sources used: RBC, TASS, RT, U.S. News & World Report, New York Post, RBC, RT, RBC, RT, TASS, RBC, TASS, CGTN, CGTN, CNN, France 24
Artificial intelligence was used in preparing this material.
